Rail-anchor.



F. A. PRESTON.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 1914.

1,101,658, Patented June 30,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: f INVENTOR.

F. A. PRESTON.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.13, 1914.

Patented June 30, 1914.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

? UNITEDSTA PATENT OFFICE.

summon sirniisron, or HIGHLAND PARK, rumors, assrenon To THE P & m 00.,

- orcnroaeo, ILLINOIS, a CORPORATION or rumors.

BAIL-ANCHOB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I "FREDERICK A. PRESTON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have'invented certain new. 'and useful Improvements in Rail-Anchors,

of which the following is a specification.v

My invention relates to devices for pre- '.venting the longitudinal creep of railroad rails, such devices being commonly called rail anchors,-rail stays, or anti-creepers. A device of this sort consists essentially of a clamp engaging the rail and an element-for givingthe device a stationary position in the roadbed so that the tendency of the rail to creep will be checked. Anti-creeping devices are very frequently constructed so that ;a forward longitudinal movement of the rail automatically brings about-a tightening of the clamp of the device. on the rail base so that the creeping tendency is self-checked.

. But in order that the device should function in this way there must obviously be an initialv or constantly maintained grip ofthe device .on the rail, otherwise the rail will creep through the anchor. Even when a rail anchor'isf, in the firstinstance, given a tight become loosened or insecure from anumber of differentcauses, for example, the diil'erence in contraction and expansion as' between the rail and the parts of the anchor resulting from temperature changes and the vibration r weaving movement of the rail under the mpulses of the wheels. of the trains.

The principal object of my invention is to 'provide an anti-creeping device of novel and improved construction composed in part of.

a flexible element or tongue which is bent and put under tension when the device is applied to the rail so that it exerts a constant pressure tending to take up any looseness, and-thereby keeps the anchor closely engaged withthe rail.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in two preferred embodiments which, it will be understood, are susceptible of some modification without departure from the principles of the invention.

In the drawi Figure 1 shows, in elevation, one em iment of the invention in o verative position on a rail, the latter being s own in cross section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rail with the anchor attached -thereto; Fig. 3, a sectional view, on line 3.-? of Fig. 1; Fig. 4,.a view, in perspective, of the flexible element of the device; Fig. 5, a similar view of the oke or rigid element; Fig.- 6, a view simi or to Fig. 1 showing the other embodiment of the invention referred to above, being asectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 7; Fig. 7, a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a detail sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and Figs. 9 and 10, views, in perspective, of the flexible or tongue element and the yoke or rigid member, respectively, of this type of device.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings. I Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, A designates a railroad rail and B one of the cross ties supporting the same.

The anchor consists, in this embodiment of the invention, of a yoke C and a tongue D. The tongue is preferably elastic and the yoke rigid, although the latter may also be made of material having a certain amount of flexibility. One of these members, preferably the last named, is provided with a tie abutting flan e E adapted to bear'against the tie B when the device is in operative position. The yoke C is formed with jaws F and G which bear on opposite edges of the base of rail A. The yoke is preferably formed centrally with a recess H to receive the flexible tongue D. The latter is made of spring metal and is preferably curved or width although this is not essential.

The device is applied to the rail by placing the tongue element D under the bottom of the rail with the tie abutting flange bearyoke around the rail base and forcing it up toward the tie to a secure position. The yoke may be driven on with a hammer if necessary. This bends the tongue D as best shown 1n Fig. '3. The curvature of the tongue is such that the pressure developed between the tongue and yoke is increased as the yoke is driven toward the tie. This efiect may be enhanced by forming the tongue so that it increases in width from its outer extremity toward the tie abutting flange E. Preferably the tongue is bowed sufliciently so that the application of the yoke thereto gives the tongue a reverse bend bowed as shown. It may also be tapered in ing against the cross tie B, and placing the.

erative position onthe rail sothat it exerts:

(Z whereby the tendency of the yoke toward a retrograde movement, as a result of vibration or the suppositional reactive lon itudinal movements of the rail following t e forward creeping impulse, will be effectually checked. Thus in case the contraction of the rail carries the device bodily away from the tie so that the flange E is out of engagement with the tie there will be no longer any pressure tending to force the two 'members of the device into engagement with each other and into clamping engagement with the rail unless as in my device some special feature is provided for that purpose. In" the absence of such special feature the vi-' bration of the'rail caused by passing trains will, under those conditions, tend to sepa ratethe two members of the device whereupon the device will lose its grip on the rail and will ultimately drop off on to'the road bed. So also, if obstructions such as pieces of ballast should come in front of the flange E so as to afford resistance to the movement of the flange E away from the tie when the rail. contracts,.the tendency of the contraction of the rail would be to draw thef two members apart, thus again loosening the grip of the deviceon the rail and destroying.

its efliciency. It will thus be seen that in providing a structure in which there is effective resistance to the movement of the bar C lengthwise of the tongue-D in either'ldi rection from the operative position of'the parts, I have provided means inde endent of the abutment of the flange E against the tie to prevent the disengagement of the members from each other and to revent the loosening of the device on the rail. The

same principle of construction is involved in the embodlment of the lnventlon -1lIus-,

trated in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive. The yoke J is formed on one end with a jaw K and 'P elements, one of which is formed wit means forgiving the device a stationary position in the roadbed and with an elastlemember' extending lengthwise of the rail which is put under tension when thedevioe'is in op a pressure tending to maintain'thegripof said device on the rail.

2. A rail anchor com rising rail 'i' elements .one of which is provid o d jwitg means for giving the device 'o'station ary position in the road bed and with an integral curved elastic member extending lengthwise of the rail and when in operative 1" 7. A rail rovided with a tie position engaged by another element of the device so as to be put under tension thereby tending to prevent a loosening movement between said elements.

3. A rail anchor comprising rail grippin elements one of which is provided wit means for iving the device a stationary position on t e roadbed and one of which is provided with a curved elastic member which is bent by the engagement of the other element therewith so as to form a shoulder against which said other element seats, thereb preventin a retrograde movement of sai other memie 4. A rail anchor com rising rail gripping elements, one of which is provided with means for giving the device a stationary position on the roadbed and one of which is r ovided with an elastic member which is nt by the engagement of the other element therewith so as to form a shoulder against which said other element seats, thereby preventing a retrograde movement of said other member.

5. A rail anchor comprising a yoke adapted to extend around the base of a rail, and an elastic tongue which intervenes between the yoke and the rail base so as to be put a ei'jative position on the rail, one of said e ements being provided with a tie abutting flange. 1

anchor comprising:fyokeadapted toextend around the base' r araihand a tie abnttihg plate fo'rmod'with a bowed tongue which is put under tension by said yoke when the device is inoperative position on the rail.

8. A rail a'nohoi' com rising]. oke adapted to extend" around abuse 0 a rail and an elastic tongue" which intervenes between the yoke and tho under surface of the base of said rail put under pressure when the 'devioejis'lii operative position on the rail, one'o'fsaid being provided with a tie abutting I 9. A rail anchor-comprising a yoke ado ed to extend museum bnseof a rail an a bowed elastic e which intervenes between the yoke an the surface of the ot and rail so utobe put-under pies- 've posiwhen' the device iii-in o tionon the rail, one of aid emonts being fividedwitha tie tbntting' p 10. A rail meanscomprising a yoke adapted to surround thebase of a rail, and a" tie abutting plate formed with a bowed tongue which intervenes between the yoke and the under surface of the base of said rail.

11. A rail anchor comprising a yoke adapted 'to surround the base of a rail, and

adapted to extend around the base of a rail and an elastic tongue, tapered longitudinally, which intervenes between the yoke and the rail base so as to be put under pressure when the device is in 0 erative position on the rail, one of said e ements being provided with a tie abutting flange.

13. A rail anchor comprising a yoke formed with integral jaws adapted to engage opposite edges of the base of a rail, and an elastic tongue which intervenesbetween the yoke and the rail base so as to be put under pressure when the device is in operative position on the rail one of said elements being provided with a tie abutting flange.-

it. A rail anchor comprising rail gripping elements slidable on each other lengthwise of the rail and in such resilient engagement with each other that the co-engaging tension between said members will be increased by a relative sliding movement on each other in either direction lengthwise of the rail thereby increasing the grip of the device upon the rail.

15.-A rail anchor comprising rail gripping elements slidabie on each other iengthwise of the rail one of which is a spring so engaged and put under tension by the other when in operative engagement with the rail that such tension will be increased by a relative sliding movement between said elements in; either direction lengthwise of the rail.

.16. A rail anchor com rising elements relatively slidable lengthwise of the rail which together provide elastic railgripping means adapted to be put under increased gripping tension by a relative sliding movement be tween said members in either direction lengthwise of the rail.

17. A rail anchor comprisin co-engaging elements relatively movable engthwise of the rail which together provide elastic rail gripping means, one of said elements being provided with a tie abutting flange and the movement of the other thereon away from said tie abutting flange operating to increase the hold of said rail gripping means on the rail.

18. A rail anchor comprisin co-engagin elements relatively movable 'engthwise or the rail which together provide elastic rail gripping means, one of said elements being provided with a tie abutting flange and the movement of the other in either direction to or from said abutting 'fiange operating to increase the hold of said rail gripping means on the rail.

FREDERICK A. PRESTON. 

